merry

¹

[mer-ee]

adjective

merrier, merriest 

1. full of cheerfulness or gaiety; joyous in disposition or spirit.

   a merry little man.

   Synonyms: glad, cheery, frolicsome, blithesome, blithe, happy
   Antonyms: sad

2. laughingly happy; mirthful; festively joyous; hilarious.

   a merry time at the party.

   Synonyms: gleeful, jovial, jolly
   Antonyms: solemn

3. Archaic.,  causing happiness; pleasant; delightful.

Merry

²

[mer-ee]

noun

1. a female given name.

merry

/ ˈmɛrɪ /

adjective

1. cheerful; jolly

2. very funny; hilarious

3. informal,  slightly drunk

4. archaic,  delightful

5. to revel; be festive

6. informal,  to disturb greatly; disrupt

Pronunciation Note

See Mary.

Other Word Forms

• merrily adverb
• merriness noun
• overmerrily adverb
• overmerriness noun
• overmerry adjective
• unmerrily adverb
• unmerry adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of merry¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English meri(e),myrie, murie, Old English myr(i)ge, mer(i)ge “pleasant, delightful”

Word History and Origins

Origin of merry¹

Old English merige agreeable

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. make merry,

   1. to be happy or festive.

      The New Year's revelers were making merry in the ballroom.

   2. to make fun of; ridicule.

      The unthinking children made merry of the boy who had no shoes.

Example Sentences

Suoyuwan park in Dalian, which juts out of north-eastern China into the Yellow Sea, has stunning views of one of China's largest shipyards, and is a place to gather and be merry.

From BBC

“Try not to drink too much before you go on the coasters,” McLean said, encouraging attendees to “eat, drink and be merry, and create content, of course.”

From Los Angeles Times

The merry unions in “And Just Like That” are more grounded and secure, but also dull.

From Salon

Milne apologised, but you could understand the agricultural language amid the merry bedlam.

From BBC

"If you're selling tickets for a living, the more the merrier."

From BBC

Related Words

• amusing 
• cheerful 
• comical 
• enjoyable 
• fun-loving 
• glad 
• hilarious 
• jolly 
• joyful 
• joyous 
• lighthearted 
• lively 
• mad 
• pleasant 
• rollicking 
• sunny 
• winsome